By 苏剑林 | July 18, 2020
Recently, the "China Adolescents Science & Technology Innovation Contest" (CASTIC) has gone viral. The reason is simple: almost every published winning entry is at the level of a Master's or even a Doctoral thesis, and many are no less impressive than articles published in well-known journals. Yet, the authors of these works are mere middle school or even elementary school students. They have crossed all sorts of "natural chasms" to complete scientific research projects that would be considered "celestial scripts" to many people, including professional Master's and PhD students. This list of winners has stirred up a massive outcry on the internet, making us "melon-eating masses" feel the overwhelming power of the hòulàng ("after-waves" / younger generation). The situation is still developing; gradually, investigation teams are being formed, statements are being issued, apologies are being made for "over-participation," and some are strictly insisting they "did not participate." Onlookers are enjoying the unfolding drama immensely.
In the author's view, to calm this storm—especially the public outcry—one cannot handle the works individually as they are exposed. As long as the relevant organizers aren't blind or senseless, they should clearly see that the most vocal and effective suggestion from netizens is to organize live defenses, preferably live-streamed, so that we can appreciate the style of these "after-waves" up close. Obviously, we haven't seen any such response yet, which likely suggests a "guilty conscience" or some other concern. Furthermore, simply dealing with the works is not enough. If it is ultimately determined that the majority of these projects are problematic, then all relevant judges should be suspended for investigation or at least punished for dereliction of duty. After all, it takes two to tango; as long as the judges are sane, they should be able to judge that most of these works exceed the "actual capacity" of the students. Since the works were passed anyway, it's only fair that a price is paid.
Fraud happens every year, and there has been plenty of it this year, but why do I specifically choose to talk about this case? Many people might feel this is just an ordinary fraud incident, and some might even say, "the children are innocent; the fault lies with the parents," to advise everyone against over-spreading this news. However, I believe this cannot be treated as a simple case of fraud. As everyone knows, the number of winners is limited. I believe there are also contestants who did their work honestly and by themselves. The problem is that works done honestly and by oneself within the scope of one's "actual capacity" would likely be "unable to enter the halls of elegance" compared to the works currently on the award list. Therefore, the more honest you are and the more you do it yourself, the more likely you are to be eliminated. This is by no means an isolated case. Isn't this exactly what we experienced in various mathematical modeling competitions during university? Thus, when the works of the fake "after-waves" stand on the podium, those who are truly doing scientific research are forgotten in the corner; this is nothing less than strangulation. Although this so-called "National Youth Science and Technology Innovation Competition" does not impact one's life trajectory as severely as the College Entrance Exam (Gaokao), I feel there is no substantive difference between this and "stealing someone's university spot."
Therefore, I believe everyone should contribute a bit of effort to keep the momentum of this issue going. Although a few words here won't change the overall situation, if enough people speak out, there is always a chance to move things. At the very least, it might make certain people act with more restraint the next time they consider similar behavior. In the end, the victims might still be the children, but we cannot stop saying what needs to be said just because children are involved in the matter.
Don't forget the feelings of those children who were eliminated for no valid reason.
(This article solely represents personal views and does not represent the opinions of any other parties.)
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,
author={苏剑林},
year={2020},
month={Jul},
url={\url{https://kexue.fm/archives/7611}},
}
Category: Everything |
Tags: Emotion, Current Affairs